Soweto community points to heavy rains, load shedding after grisly discovery of mutilated body

The mutilated body of 61-year-old Clement Radebe was discovered on a sidewalk in Emdeni, Soweto, in the early hours of Friday morning, sending shockwaves through the local community.

According to reports, Radebe had left his home on Thursday evening to visit a local tavern he frequently patronised, before meeting his tragic end.

Mutilated body discovered in Soweto

A neighbor made the gruesome discovery, alerting local authorities to the scene where the victim was found with his eyes removed.

“After hearing about Clement’s tragic fate, my younger brother and I rushed to the crime scene.

“What I saw there will haunt me forever. Clement’s lifeless body lay before me, his eyes removed,” a family member recounted.

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“The sight was so distressing that I couldn’t bear to look at him twice. Even now, I’m struggling to come to terms with what happened.”

According to Soweto Urban News, Teme, the victim’s sister, expressed disbelief at the brutal nature of the crime.

She told the publication that her brother was a peaceful person who “never got into a fight or caused any trouble,” leaving her questioning who could “do such cruel things to him”.

Community response

Meanwhile, local community police forum (CPF) leader Bab’ Ngwenya provided insights into the incident.

He told The Citizen that Radebe’s body was known and identified by the family on the same day.

According to Ngwenya, the community did not take the news lightly.

“The community did not react badly, but they were also surprised why this had happened.

“The blame is on the load shedding and the rain that was pouring last night [on Thursday]. That is why people could not see these hooligans,” he said on Friday.

Ngwenya confirmed that law enforcement had been notified and responded to the scene: “We called the police after they called us, the police attended.”

The Citizen has reached out to Naledi police station and Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo for comment. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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